The 2014 Sun Super Seven girls high school basketball team poses for a photo. They are, from left, Ariona Gill, Kealy Brown, Madison Washington, Raychel Stanley, Megan Jacobs, Paris Strawther and Taylor Turney.
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014 | 2 a.m.
Paris Strawther interview
Paris Strawther has rendered most defenders matching up against her helpless over the past two seasons relying exclusively on an inherent ability to play in the post.
Now that the Liberty High girls basketball team is running an offense encouraging the 6-foot-2 senior center to also take mid-range jumpers, attempting to guard her is even more demoralizing.
“Post players don’t think I’ll be able to shoot that,” Strawther says defiantly.
But she can. The way Liberty coach Chad Kapanui tells it, there’s not much Strawther can’t do on the court.
Strawther, who committed to UNLV in the offseason, has led the Patriots to back-to-back appearances in the state tournament by averaging a double-double in points and rebounds. And the two-time Sun Super Seven team honoree is likely saving the best chapter of her high school career for last.
“She’s more versatile this year and moving a lot better,” Kapanui said. “The first couple of games, she’s made some shots from the outside. I think she’s hungry to finish with a state championship.”
A title is about the only thing left to achieve for Strawther. Liberty got to the semifinal game, losing to Bishop Gorman, her sophomore year and the championship, falling to Reed, last season.
She doesn’t have anything left to prove individually either. Strawther has won back-to-back Sunrise Region Player of the Year awards, as well as realized her ultimate dream.
“Her goal was always to play Division 1 basketball and, obviously, she’s already got that but it hasn’t slowed her at all,” Kapanui said.
In fact, making plans to attend UNLV may have inadvertently spurred her level of motivation. Strawther is typically soft-spoken and shy, but she doesn’t keep her compulsive love of basketball a secret.
Kapanui said Strawther described herself as “married to the game.” Her schedule opened up, however, with far fewer games once she accepted a scholarship.
Trips to amateur tournaments around the country were replaced with more shooting sessions in the gym with her father. More practice aided both her development and her competitive itch.
“Not being able to play in AAU anymore, school means a lot more than it used to,” Strawther said. “I definitely want to win. Working out and training with my team is a big thing.”
Talent surrounds Strawther on the Liberty roster. Fellow Super Seven senior Kealy Brown is a star on the perimeter along with standout sophomore Kaily Kaimikaua. Junior Nancy Caballero is Strawther’s capable complement in the paint.
But there’s one direction the Patriots will go at their most desperate — to Strawther.
“Paris is a great leader,” Kapanui said. “She’s the most coachable player I’ve ever had, including in football. She does everything she can to get better and never stops improving.”
Meet the rest of our girls Super Seven team below.
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Sun Super 7 Girls, Madison Washington, Bishop Gorman HS
Madison Washington, Bishop Gorman
Madison Washington interview
6-foot-2 forward/center
About Madison: One of the scariest things about Bishop Gorman this season is the fact that Raychel Stanley might not even be its best interior player. The honor varied on a game-to-game basis last year after the then-sophomore Washington had a breakout season. Like Stanley, Washington shot better than 60 percent from the floor and cleaned up on the boards. “I worked on my game in and out,” Washington said of the roots of her progress. “I spent night and day working on my ball-handling, my shot. I focused on defense, my footwork, my vertical. I worked on everything.” Washington posted 16 points and eight rebounds per game. And that doesn’t include her natural gift, which numbers can hardly begin to quantify.
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Sun Super 7 Girls, Ariona Gill, Arbor View HS
Ariona Gill, Arbor View
Ariona Gill interview
5-foot-10 guard/forward
About Ariona: One of four members on this year’s Super Seven to make the team in back-to-back years, Gill is bound to thrill whatever college she eventually chooses to commit to because of her versatility. She spent her first two high school seasons as a guard before welcoming a new challenge as a junior last season. “Last year, I improved a lot because now I have to play the post,” Gill said. Gill doesn’t only play every position. She also excels at every position. She led Arbor View to its second straight division championship last season with 13 points and three steals per game. One of the best drivers in town, Gill has a knack for getting to the rim.
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Sun Super 7 Girls, Megan Jacobs, Bishop Gorman HS.
Megan Jacobs, Bishop Gorman
Megan Jacobs interview
6-foot-1 guard
About Megan: Jacobs has a hard time describing what she does well on the court. That’s probably because she does everything well. Jacobs is just as likely to pull up and hit a jump shot as she is to use her size to back a defender down and put in an easy bucket. “I bring a lot of power,” Jacobs said. “I’m a long guard. I can shoot above most guards.” As if that’s not enough, Jacobs also excels as a rebounder and passer. It’s a luxury for the Gaels to have a distributor of her caliber on the wing with Super Seven teammates Raychel Stanley and Madison Washington lurking in the paint. The junior averaged eight points, six assists and five rebounds per game as a sophomore.
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Sun Super 7 Girls, Raychel Stanley, Bishop Gorman HS
Raychel Stanley, Bishop Gorman
Raychel Stanley interview
6-foot-2 forward/center
About Raychel: There was no sophomore slump for Stanley last year. After having one of the best freshman seasons in recent memory, it was natural to question how Stanley would respond to more pressure and attention. She responded by playing even more dominantly. Stanley averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks per game. She also started the process of making her game more well rounded. “I worked on shooting more and bringing the ball up,” Stanley said. Already a top-flight recruit, Stanley could give herself even more options to play in college by continuing to progress this season. “I didn’t know what to expect,” Stanley reflected on her freshman season. “Now that I’m an upperclassman, I know what to expect and I’m ready for it.”
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Sun Super 7 Girls, Taylor Turney, Foothill HS
Taylor Turney, Foothill
Taylor Turney interview
5-foot-8 guard
About Taylor: Turney has been one of the best scorers in the valley for the past two seasons. And she’s barely gotten started. With two years left in the junior’s career, it’s not a stretch to predict Turney will have the statistics necessary to go down as one of the most prolific players in Las Vegas high school basketball history. Turney’s scoring average actually decreased last season, from 17 points per game as a freshman to 16 as a sophomore, but every other statistical category went up. It was a conscious decision from Turney to become a more complete product. “I’m a team player,” Turney said. “I don’t like to be a ball hog or anything. I like to make my teammates look good in front of people.” She attacks the defensive end with the same vigor, instilling a mindset not to allow anyone to get the best of her in a one-on-one situation.
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Sun Super 7 Girls, Kealy Brown, Liberty HS
Kealy Brown, Liberty
Kealy Brown interview
5-foot-8 guard
About Kealy: Brown is everything a coach could want out of a point guard. Not only is the senior equally adept as a playmaker and penetrator, but she’s also an extremely smart player. Her recent signing to Dartmouth proves as much. Brown averaged 11 points and four steals during her junior year in forming a one-two punch with Paris Strawther that nearly delivered Liberty a state championship. “It definitely dedicates us more,” Brown said of losing to Reed in the final. “I think being at that spot and losing, it makes us ready and stronger as a team to be able to make it to state and win this year.”
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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